and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— May, 1912. 



471 



taxation. The new industry has not only changed 

 the agricultural policies of foreign govern- 

 ments, and general trading relationships, hut it 

 has also resulted in the opening up of land and 

 the distribution and employme-t of large native 

 populations in vast forest area* previously of no 

 importance to the commercial world. What in 

 point of productivity the planting of one million 

 acres of rubber trees will mean can only be 

 manifest some six years hence, but there is 

 ample evidence it will materially affect many de- 

 partments of commerce, except some unforeseen 

 disaster overtakes plantations. An annual yield 

 of 100,000 tons from Eastern plantations will 

 surely have its influence in many directions, 

 says the author. 



Financial. 



Another feature of even more than passing 

 importance is the wide spread recognition 

 gained by this new agricultural develop- 

 ment during the last few years. The planta- 

 tions from the East alone have drawn even 

 now approximately S, 100,000,000 from the finan- 

 cial houses of Europe and already there are 

 signs of changes in the centres of distribution 

 of crude rubber which will become better de- 

 fined as new supplies from the various Eastern 

 ports increase. The security presented in well- 

 managed plantations has drawn into the inves- 

 tors' list individuals from every class, from 

 Royal blood to the peasant. 



Industry Improvements. 

 The author also states : — 



"As far as the estates are concerned there has, 

 in the past few years, been marked progress in 

 the methods of tapping, coagulating, washing, 

 drying, and packing of rubber. While some 

 departments of estate work are still, in part, of 

 an experimental nature, improvements have 

 been, and still are being, effected. The greatest 

 progress has, I think, been in the systems of 

 tapping and in the yields obtained. 



To Better Yields. 

 "I hope that the low average yield obtained on 

 some estates and in certain countries will lead 

 to a much closer investigation as to the causes. 

 Poor soil, overcrowding of the plantation and 

 weeds are largely responsible for the low average 

 yields herein quoted from particular countries 

 or estates ; the first can be remedied by proper 

 tillage and manuring, the others by better finan- 

 cial and estate management. It must also be 

 borne in mind that low average yields may, to 

 a very large extent, be compensated for by the 



excellence of the management ; the countries of 

 highest average yield per tree are those where 

 labour and staff expenses are comparatively high . 



"In the length of time allowed for renewal 

 of bark there has been very little change, 

 though there is still a widespread desire to tap 

 the newly-formed tissue as soon as its thickness 

 is equal to that of the old bark, and conse- 

 quently a tendency to adopt a three-year cycle 

 instead of one of four years. Though much de- 

 pends upon the rate of growth, I am, in general, 

 inclined to the view that it would be wiser to 

 lengthen rather than shorten the four-year in- 

 terval which I have up to the present advocated." 



The author has taken a most comprehensive 

 view of his subject and practically every phase 

 has received adequate attention. His opening 

 chapter deals with the history of Para rubber, 

 which is followed by a history of rubber plan- 

 tations. Other chapters include the Botanical 

 sources of rubber ; climatic conditions for Hevea 

 Brasiliensis ; rate of growth ; planting oper- 

 ations and methods of cultivation; cultivation 

 of catch and inter crops ; Hevea soils and 

 manuring ; tapping operations and implements ; 

 how to tap ; where to tap ; when to tap ; 

 how notable estates are being tapped ; effects 

 of tapping ; tapping and yields in the Amazon 

 region ; yields in Malaya ; yields in Ceylon and 

 South India; yields in the Dutch East Indies, 

 Borneo, Africa, etc. ; general considerations af- 

 fecting yields ; physical and chemical properties 

 of latex; production of rubber from latex; the 

 theory of coagulation ; purification of rubber and 

 washing machines ; the drying of rubber ; the 

 smoking of rubber ; forms of branding, packing 

 and handling of plantation rubber; plantation 

 rubber, its characters and comparative value ; 

 chemical and physical properties and testing of 

 rubber; manufacture and composition of rubber 

 articles ; the seeds, properties, uses and distribu- 

 tion ; diseases and pests of Hevea rubber trees ; 

 costs of productions on estates ; and estimated 

 costs of planting in the Middle East. The book 

 can be well recommended and no one interested 

 in the matter of rubber in any shape or form 

 should be without a copy of this most valuable 

 work of reference. The publishers in London 

 are Messrs Maclaren and Sons, Ltd., of Shoe 

 Lane, London ; and in Colombo, Messrs A M & 

 J Ferguson, Ceylon Observer Office— the price for 

 India and Ceylon being Rs. 12 ; postage 50 cents. 



Copies are due out very shortly, and orders 

 may now being booked here. 



